Opinons and reports from the bridge table about card play, bidding, auctions and bidding theory.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Invite paradox

Sometimes hands come up that are a bit paradoxical. Take this hand:

KJ86QxxQJ8xxx

Partner opens 1NT showing 14-16. Now you have enough to invite game, but only in NT. Your values are to slow for 4S with only one K and no A's. 4S may be a make, but will be against the odds, imps or mp's.

So, try Stayman and pass over 2S and bid 2NT over 2D/2H! Isn't that a kind of paradox? Partner's hand when this one came up:

QTxxxxxA9AKJ8

After a trump lead with both minor finesses off, 8 tricks was the limit. Maybe one should even pass 1NT, but I think that's a bit to pessimistic.

When inviting, to what contract? Controls, i.e. aces and kings, are very important, especially in 4M/5m. In 3NT you can survive with compensating middle cards, lot's of 9/10's.

Take into consideration that hand evaluation may differ even at game level.